Milton police investigating rash of indecent exposures

Police are asking anyone with information about the indecent exposure incidents Monday or Sept. 20 to call Milton police at 608-757-2244 or Janesville Area CrimeStoppers at 608-756-3636.

MILTON—Milton police are investigating a rash of reports of flashers exposing themselves at local businesses and in residential areas in recent weeks.

Police Chief Dan Layber said police are investigating a pair of incidents reported Monday of males exposing themselves. He said one happened at 4:09 a.m. at Casey's General Store, a 24-hour convenience gas station at 464 S. John Paul Road.

Layber said a white man 40 to 50 years old exposed himself in front of a female worker at Casey's and touched himself, according to the employee. The man then left, but the woman did not see whether he got in a vehicle, Layber said.

He is described as average height and build and balding. At the time, the man was wearing a dark blue shirt and khaki pants.

Later on Monday, at about 11:15 a.m., a woman in a residential area on Second Street just north of Vernal Avenue witnessed a male age 13 to 18 standing on a sidewalk and exposing himself, Layber said.

The woman was at her car when she heard the male rustling leaves to try to get her attention. The male then left, and the woman did not report the incident to police for about a half hour, Layber said.

Police were unable to locate the male, who was described as clean shaven and wearing dark pants and a coat. It's not clear if the male left on foot or in a vehicle, Layber said.

The flashings Monday were the third and fourth indecent exposures reported in Milton since Sept. 20. On that day, a man in his early 20s was witnessed exposing himself in front of a woman at the 400 block of Columbus Street, according to reports.

Fifteen minutes later, witnesses spotted a man exposing himself in front of a business at the 100 block of Front Street, about 1½ miles from the first incident.

Police have no suspects in the incidents and have made no arrests.

Based on witness descriptions, Layber said, police believe it's likely the incidents Monday and Sept. 20 involved different perpetrators. He said it's odd to have had such a rash of indecent exposures in a small town.

“It's very weird. It's very unusual for us to have these types of incidents and to have them happen in a relatively short time period,” Layber said. “We're concerned. You never know what these things will lead to. Right now, it's just an exposure. But you never know what it could lead to.”

If police catch the flashers, they could face misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure or lewd and lascivious behavior. Those are offenses that could lead to jail time of up to one year, according to state statutes.

Layber said it's troubling to have no real leads. The people that witness indecent exposure often are so startled they have trouble giving a good description of a person or vehicle.

“If you're a gas station attendant, it's four o'clock in the morning, it's a pretty traumatic event,” Layber said.